Never heard of this before

[windsor26]

I am new to Carnival and have just booked the LEGEND

I read the rules about Carnival cruises as this is my first with them

The rules mentioned 1.5% credit card charges on their ship board accounts saying

 

 

If credit/debit card method of payment is selected, a card processing fee and the total amount of charges incurred by those authorized will be billed to the credit/debit card provided; the card processing fee is non-refundable, due at account opening, and the equivalent of 1.5% of the total amount of charges incurred on board. Once onboard, credit/debit card spending will be authorized with your issuing bank and balance holds may be taken up to the amount of purchases plus the corresponding 1.5% card processing fee; some banks may hold these for up to 30 days and this will reduce the amount of funds available on your credit/debit card account.

 

I could not believe this so asked them Received the following

 

Dear Yvonne

Hoping all is well.

 

That is correct, there is a 1.5% credit card transaction fee to credit card charges.

 

Thank you again for allowing us to be of assistance. If there is anything else we can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Sincerely,

 

I will be paying in cash :(:(:(

Edited August 1, 2014 by windsor26

[Miller_KC]

I heard that on another thread a couple of days ago, but I have never been charged anything extra by Carnival for using a credit card.

[Smiling Cruiser]

The only charges I have ever encountered were the tips applied automatically to your drink orders. There is also a fee for cash drawn on your S&S account at the tables in the casino or at the casino cage. Never obtained cash at the pursers desk so I don't know about that.

[Island Hopper58]

I have not been charged a fee either.

So the question would be...

Is this a new policy or

one that is for someone who lets say is not from the states?

OP has NSW Australia listed as her home, so maybe that's the case?

Edited August 1, 2014 by Island Hopper58

[kybluecruiser]

I am thinking it may be an Australia thing. I have never seen that sailing from the United States.

[Shaded Lady]

I believe the consensus was that if this is indeed charged it's an Australian cruise thing, not charged to those sailing from the US... I checked my cruise docs and couldn't find the same reference that you mentioned.

[SadieN]

Very common to be charged a credit card fee outside the US.

[riffatsea]

Yes, I agree it is an out of USA thing.

Even in Europe we are often told that things will cost more if we choose to pay with a credit card.

Here in the USA most often businesses pay this fee to the credit card company and don't charge the customer for it.

Carnival is following local customs now in its Australian incarnation.

[crzndeb]

Was this info from the Carnival Australian site or the Carnival US site?

 

This may be true when the ships are ported in Australia, but since you are sailing the ship back to the US, that may not hold true.

 

I have never been charged a fee, even when I sailed the Spirit to Australia in 2012.

 

Debbie

[Terre]

Yes, the processing fee is a usually a small charge businesses place on your card as a "hold" and then it is removed. I don't think we've ever been charged the fee with Carnival, but that doesn't mean the fee was not put on our card and then dropped off before we receive the bill.

[gadan1]

It's on the terms and conditions (sec 24) on the Australian Carnival site: http://www.carnival.com.au/terms

[SadieN]

Yes, the processing fee is a usually a small charge businesses place on your card as a "hold" and then it is removed. I don't think we've ever been charged the fee with Carnival, but that doesn't mean the fee was not put on our card and then dropped off before we receive the bill.

 

That's a hold.

 

The fee is no different than gas stations charging an additional 10c/gal for using a CC instead of paying in cash. They've started doing this in Southern California about a year ago.

Edited August 2, 2014 by SadieN

[SoCal Cruiser78]

There have been a couple other threads about this recently. Apparently, this is not uncommon on travel booked in Australia and the UK, from what other posters have said. It is not just a Carnival thing, either.

[windsor26]

Just to be clear this is not an addition for booking the cruise or anything like that which we are quite used to here.

This is a charge by Carnival cruise ships (not any of the other CCL lines) for the charges on your on board account (not taking out cash etc) just what is purchased.

The reply came from the Miami office and as said the regulation mentioned on board account charged 1.5% for using a credit card

This has never happened before on any of my UK or Australian cruises with other cruise lines so I was shocked.:(

Edited August 2, 2014 by windsor26

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Just to be clear this is not an addition for booking the cruise or anything like that which we are quite used to here. This is a charge by Carnival cruise ships (not any of the other CCL lines) for the charges on your on board account (not taking out cash etc) just what is purchased...

 

Oh, I see what you are saying now. That does seem odd, especially if it is not done on the other CCL-owned lines.

Edited August 2, 2014 by Ryndam2002

[Badfinger]

Yes, I agree it is an out of USA thing.

Even in Europe we are often told that things will cost more if we choose to pay with a credit card.

Here in the USA most often businesses pay this fee to the credit card company and don't charge the customer for it.

Carnival is following local customs now in its Australian incarnation.

 

Don't kid yourself. You are being charged for it when you use it at US Businesses. It is just included in the price of the item.

[thinfool]

Don't kid yourself. You are being charged for it when you use it at US Businesses. It is just included in the price of the item.

 

Thank you. This is very, very true. Up until recently it was illegal for a US business to allow a discount for paying cash vs a CC. It is now legal and appears randomly over the retail world in the US. Gas stations are an example.

 

The merchant has the option of allowing/offering the discount or just charging the advertised price of the item.

 

Example: If someone is paying cash for 10 widgets ($10.US) and there is no cash discount, they are paying the same price as someone who buys with a CC. This means the business gets to pocket the fees that would otherwise go to the CC processor as the fees are already rolled into the advertised price of the item.

 

Note: 1.5% is not a bad premium. Many processors are paying upwards of 2.5-3% in processing fees. AMEX has some of the highest fees in the industry. Hence, many places in the US do not accept Amex cards.

Edited August 2, 2014 by thinfool

[Jamocall]

Common to be charged credit card fee on purchases in Australia.

[losijon]

Note: 1.5% is not a bad premium. Many processors are paying upwards of 2.5-3% in processing fees. AMEX has some of the highest fees in the industry. Hence, many places in the US do not accept Amex cards.

 

 

Actually MOST Amex fees range from 2.89-3.25% and they don't charge all the extra debit fees and tier fees that the processor will charge to the merchant...

 

 

 

 

.....................................................

Carnival Pride 7 day Mexican Riviera: September 2008

 

Carnival Inspiration 4 day Mexican Riviera: September 2013

 

Carnival Miracle 15 day Hawaii: coming October 2015

[HUNKY]

Yes Amex has a higher charge rate to the merchant, but on average the person using Amex spends more per transaction. Just as a person using Discover spends less on average.